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02-04-2016, 03:18 PM

Why Did The Government Prosecute This Original NSA Whistleblower?

A new initiative has been launched to uncover what really went on behind-the-scenes during the government’s high profile prosecution of Thomas Drake, a decorated National Security Agency whistleblower who disclosed details about a government domestic surveillance program.The James Madison Project filed a Freedom of Information Act suit before the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia Jan. 22 that sought documents about Drake’s highly unusual prosecution.Mark Zaid, executive director of the project, told The Daily Caller News Foundation that the Drake case represented an attempt by government officials to send a chilling message to other national security whistleblowers, especially those &nbsp;concerned about domestic surveillance programs.“A lot of it also had to do with sending a message to others who had information about surveillance programs to shut up,” Zaid said. &nbsp;“The last thing we want for any national security whistleblower is to think there are no viable alternatives to pursue before illegally disclosing information,” he said. &nbsp;Zaid also is an attorney who has represented many national security officials in federal court.Read the entire article